HJBR Mar/Apr 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2025 41 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalBR.com The latest accreditation is the fifth consecu- tive three-year accreditation CARF International awarded to Capital Area Human Services. Louisiana Department of Health Launches Pilot Program to Streamline ERUtilization In partnership with Acadian Health, the Louisi- ana Department of Health’s Medicaid program announces an emergency room (ER) utilization reduction pilot program launching this month across the 12 parishes comprising Region 4 (Aca- diana) and Region 5 (Southwest Louisiana). The six-month programminimizes unnecessary ambu- lance calls and ER visits. Recent data gathered by LDH’s Bureau of Health Services Financing shows that approxi- mately 20% of the state’s Medicaid patients visit local emergency rooms on average 17 times per year, often for non-life-threatening situa- tions or due to social factors, such as a lack of transportation. The pilot program extends medical services from LDH’s six Medicaid managed care organi- zations (MCOs) to patient residences via urgent mobile care provided by Acadian Health, a Lafay- ette-based provider of in-home healthcare ser- vices. It treats sick but stable Medicaid patients at home, allowing providers to address non-medical drivers of health and reducing emergency room costs and crowding. Acadian Health will provide mobile urgent treat- ment for an array of non-life-threatening medi- cal conditions, including sickle cell disease and other chronic diseases. Services will be provided daily from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. for patients ages 13 and older. Acadian Health will be delivering a two-path program: • Acute Care at Home is an on-demand ser- vice for patients who require same-day care within one hour. It serves as alternative care for non-traumatic hospitalizations for sick but stable patients who would otherwise seek care at the ER. • Clinic at Home is a proactive visit sched- uled in advance, usually 24 hours. This allows providers to extend specialty prac- tice into patients’ homes, offering treat- ment at home and the ability to address non-medical drivers of health. Acadian Health’s services include assessment, treatment, and administration of medication. The program collaborates with primary care providers and area hospitals to extend medical practice into a patient’s home. Patients must be referred to the program by their provider, hospital, or managed care organization. For more information, such as a full listing of services provided, parishes served, and reim- bursable procedure codes, visit ldh.la.gov/ healthathome. BROCAnnounces New Doctors fromBone & Joint Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic (BROC) announced that effective April 1, 2025, they will add four new orthopedic surgeons to their grow- ing and expanding team of medical experts. The addition of these physicians represents a signif- icant alliance in the orthopedic market as they combine the resources, innovation, and exper- tise of a core group of orthopedic surgeons who have historically practiced at the Bone & Joint Clinic of Baton Rouge. The physicians are as follows: • Joseph “Jeb” Broyles, MD – specializing in joint replacement surgery; knee arthros- copy; and cartilage regeneration. • Arthur “Art” Hess, MD – specializing in trauma; hip, knee, & shoulder reconstruc- tion; and total joint replacement surgery. • Mathew “Matt” Mazoch, MD – specializ- ing in Sports Medicine and Shoulder and Knee Surgery. • Alan Schroeder, MD – specializing in Sports Medicine and Shoulder and Knee Surgery. LDHAnnounces $15M in Funding to Train HealthcareWorkforce The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announces $15 million in funding available to help train tomorrow’s healthcare workforce. The Healthcare Employment Reinvestment Oppor- tunity (H.E.R.O.) Fund provides matching grants to universities, technical colleges, healthcare sys- tems, hospitals, agencies, and associations work- ing to grow the healthcare pipeline in Louisiana. LDH plans to announce grant awardees in March. n New surgeons to join BROC are, pictured from left to right, Arthur Hess, MD, Joseph Broyles, MD, Mathew Mazoch, MD, and Alan Schroeder, MD